Revamped Bears O-line finding its groove ahead of Saints matchup

Ariana Pensy · Correspondent · 3 hours ago

CHICAGO - The offensive line has been a prominent topic for the Chicago Bears for years, especially last year when rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times. However, that problem seems to be better this year as Williams has only been sacked four times in the last three games.

Rather than sacks, the run game has been a bigger problem for the offensive line this season. Through the first four games, Chicago had one of the worst run offenses in the league.

That changed Monday night against the Washington Commanders when running back D’Andre Swift had 175 rushing yards, including 108 rushing yards.

“I feel like we’re just executing our job, opening up lines. (It) was nice and sometimes things just happen to go the right way and it did that night,” right guard Jonah Jackson said. “I say we were blocking really well in tandem. It’s something we work on everyday. It’s how we start the day, how we end the day. So, we’re just able to execute and we were firing (on) all cylinders. So, that’s why it was able to work.”

Transforming the offensive line was a priority for the Chicago Bears back in the offseason. Except for right tackle Darnell Wright, all of the starters from Chicago’s offensive line last season were no longer starters when the Bears took on the Commanders. This includes Jonah Jackson, who Chicago acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.

Chicago also acquired left guard Joe Thuney via a trade. Thuney is a two-time All-Pro who won four Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. Center Drew Dalman is also new as the Bears signed him in free agency. However, perhaps the most noteworthy new starter on the offensive line is left tackle Theo Benedet.

Benedet occupies arguably the most important position on the line since he is guarding Williams’ blindside. He is also essentially a rookie. Chicago signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. After he was injured in the preseason, his rookie year, Benedet was not able to play in any regular-season games.

At the start of the season, Braxton Jones had won the job for the starting left tackle. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, Jones lost that job to Benedet. Benedet started on the right in that game because Wright was not able to play. When Benedet was moved to the left, rookie Ozzy Trapilo finished the game on the right side and performed well.

Now, Trapilo serves as the backup right tackle, and Benedet is officially the starter on the left side of the line.

This is not much of a surprise to Jackson, who was impressed with Benedet since he first came to Chicago.

“I remember when I first got here, I thought he was pretty dang good,” Jackson said. “His technique is really, really good for a young guy and just his maturity, his understanding of the game, the scheme, and just overall, he’s a great professional.”

Benedet will get his second career NFL start against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday (Noon / FOX). This should be a favorable matchup for the offensive line, as the Saints have struggled to sack the quarterback, with only 13 sacks through six games. However, despite their lack of sacks, they are top-10 in the league in generating pressure on the quarterback.